st faith’s school policies

Last review: Nov 20 Next review: Nov 21

of 17 Responsibility: Director of Pastoral Care

St Faith’s School Policies Pastoral, Behaviour and Discipline Policy

1. Introduction It is a primary aim of St Faith’s School that every member of the school community should feel valued and respected, and that each person is treated fairly and well. We are a caring community, whose values are built on mutual trust and respect for all. We aim to promote an environment where everyone can feel happy, safe and secure and become positive, responsible and increasingly independent members of the school community. The school rewards good behaviour, as it believes that this will develop an ethos of kindness and cooperation. This policy is designed to promote good behaviour, as well as deterring anti-social behaviour. The children in our Pre Prep, especially those just starting school in our Foundation Stage classes, need particular help with recognising and regulating their behaviour as they develop their own self-control. For these children we have a ‘Positive Behaviour Policy’ (appendix 1) which helps staff to be consistent in their approach and expectations. The Pre Prep children are also considered under this whole school Pastoral, Behaviour and Discipline Policy. Further information and guidance we use is found in: ‘Behaviour and Discipline in Schools: Advice for head teachers and school staff’ DFE January 2016 2. Related School policies

Safeguarding Children Policy

Anti-Bullying Policy

Network and Internet Policy

Mobile Phone Policy

Physical Contact and Positive Handling Policy 3. The promotion of good behaviour amongst pupils We aim to foster an environment where pupils are well behaved and show respect towards each other. The School uses a number of strategies to promote good behaviour and to ensure a safe and a positive learning environment:

The teachers have high expectations of the children in terms of behaviour at all times, and they strive to ensure that all children work to the best of their ability.

Members of staff must act as good role models to the pupils and set an example through their high standards of behaviour.

Moral issues affecting the School and the wider world are regularly discussed in assemblies, PSHCE lessons and Tutor times as well as in other parts of the curriculum.

Pupils are regularly reminded, in assemblies and Tutor and PSHCE sessions about ‘Being our Best Selves.’ This means being: fair, truthful, patient, generous, forgiving, kind, hardworking, sympathetic, brave and thankful.



Pupils are taught the 3 Rs; Respect for myself, Respect for others and Responsibility for all my actions. These qualities form part of the ‘Being our Best Selves’ document.

Pupils are regularly taught about the importance of respecting others and being tolerant of those whose beliefs differ from their own. Respect is regularly referred to in assemblies and curriculum lessons.

Pupils in Year 8 act as Prefects, Buddies and Peer Mentors and they are encouraged to be fine role models to younger pupils.

Pupils are taught about the importance of considering others who are less fortunate than themselves and they take part in fundraising events throughout the year, supporting local and national charities.

Pupils have regular opportunities to put forward their views on school issues in PSHCE, Tutor time and ‘At Homes’ and by taking part in surveys. They can also consult with the Eco-Committee or School Council.

Pupils are taught that having good Learning Habits means: being punctual, ready for lessons, listening carefully, concentrating, joining in, starting promptly, working carefully, attending to detail, responding to feedback and reflecting on work. In the Pre Prep children work towards developing the learning habits of: listening, participation, curiosity, perseverance, independence, resilience and team work.

Children are expected to present themselves neatly and smartly in the uniform specified when they arrive at school in the morning and leave at the end of the day in a similar way.

Pupils are expected to follow a system of basic rules that allows the school to run in a safe and successful manner.

Only pupils who are on the ‘Unaccompanied Journey’ register are allowed to bring a mobile phone into school. Phones are dropped off in secure cabinets at the start of the day and returned to pupils as they leave the site. See the ‘Mobile Phone Policy’ for further information.

The Network and Internet Policy contains rules which the pupils must adhere to. Pupils in Years 3-8 sign an agreement to use the network and internet appropriately and parents of Pre Prep pupils sign an agreement on their behalf. For further information, see the ‘Network and Internet Policy.’

The Policy Statement on ‘Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development’ contains further information on the ways in which the School promotes good behaviour amongst the pupils.

4. Rewards Teachers congratulate children individually, in class settings or in assemblies

In the Pre Prep children can be awarded:

various stickers ‘Star of the Week’ certificates ‘Being Our Best Selves’ certificates ‘Privilege time’ for being cooperative and working hard ‘Class team tokens’ leading to a ‘team time reward’



Children in Years 3-8 can be awarded: Merit stickers or praise certificates by individual teachers or Tutors Subject Commendations for consistently high attainment grades House Praise cards or House Commendations for displaying excellent qualities ‘Team up Tuesday’ stickers for showing excellent friendship in Years 3 and 4 Colours (Years 7 and 8 only) for outstanding achievements in a subject or being an

excellent role model or ambassador Headmaster’s Commendations for achieving consistently high Learning Habit grades Pastoral or academic ambassador awards for outstanding accomplishments Progress, achievement, year-specific subject prizes and special prizes on Speech Day Kindness certificates for outstanding acts of kindness which are witnessed by staff or other

pupils. These are awarded each week by the Headmaster A house point system is in place which reflects the successes of house teams and the Learning Habits displayed by pupils within their subjects.

5. Sanctions The following interventions may be used according to each individual situation.

It is recognised that adjustments to sanctions may be required for children with special educational needs. Any report of poor behaviour from a pupil with a recognised special educational need will be discussed with the Head of Learning Support and the Tutor/Head of Head of House. Such pupils may require a sanction or further intervention to support their behaviours.

In the Pre Prep, from Year 1, children lose privilege time if their behaviour is disruptive or uncooperative.

If pupils do not listen carefully to instructions or work diligently, they may be asked either to move to a place nearer the teacher, or to sit on their own.

If they do not try their best in all activities, they may be asked to redo a task.

Pupils may be warned that they are unlikely to take part in a particular activity unless their behaviour improves.

Teaching staff in Years 3-8 can inform Tutors, Heads of House, the Deputy Head Academic and Director of Pastoral Care about concerns including; disruptive behaviour, rudeness and lack of punctuality or homework through the Behaviour Tracking System (BTS).

Pupils who receive any form of negative BTS entry should be spoken to by their Tutor.

In Years 3 to 8, pupils who receive multiple BTS pastoral entries in the space of a half term, may receive Time out in which they are excluded from a break time. Pupils can also receive Time out for one–off acts of poor behaviour. Time out takes place at break time in either the Director of Pastoral Care or Deputy Head’s office and pupils spend time reflecting on their behaviour.

Pupils who receive Time out on several occasions over the course of a half term receive an ‘internal suspension’, in which they may be excluded from sports matches or other school events and spend an afternoon with the Director of Pastoral Care or the Deputy Head. Alternatively, they might lose a series of breaks during a week. In such cases parents will be informed.



Pupils who are consistently failing to hand in homework on time or complete sufficient homework may be invited to attend subject surgeries or receive Time out with one of the Heads of Department. The child’s Tutor will inform parents where there are concerns over homework.

A pupil may be put on a Daily Report or, for younger children, a sticker chart may be used to improve behaviour. Longer term arrangements may include the pupil participating in a social skills group with a member of the Learning Support Department.

If a child is disruptive in class, the teacher reminds him or her of their expectations. If a child misbehaves repeatedly, we may isolate the child within the classroom until s/he is in a position to work sensibly again with others. Pupils must not be sent out of a lesson to stand on their own outside a classroom.

In cases where a child is so disruptive that the learning or safety of the rest of the class is seriously impaired, the child will be removed from a lesson by a senior member of staff or a senior member of staff may be present in the lesson.

A pupil whose behaviour is, in the judgement of the Headmaster, likely to put the health and safety of other children at risk, or unacceptably to compromise their entitlement to learning may be required to leave the school either temporarily or permanently. The Headmaster will not ask any parent permanently to remove a pupil from the school without first having informed the Chair of the St Faith’s Committee or her appointed deputy of that intention.

Corporal punishment is illegal in schools and is never used or threatened at St Faith’s. See the ‘Physical Contact and Positive Handling Policy’ for information on physical contact with pupils.

For further information on sanctions, see appendix 1. 6. Accusations against staff and restraint

Where a pupil makes an accusation against a member of staff and the accusation is shown to have been deliberately invented or malicious, the Headmaster will consider whether to take any disciplinary action.

Where a parent makes an accusation against a member of staff and the accusation is shown to have been malicious, the Head will consider (in accordance with the School’s terms & conditions) whether to require that parent to withdraw their child or children from the School on the basis that they have treated the School or a member of staff unreasonably. An allegation is malicious where there is sufficient evidence to disprove the allegation and there has been a deliberate attempt to deceive.

For cases where restraint has to be used e.g. to prevent a pupil committing an offence, injuring himself/herself or destroying property, see the ‘Physical Contact and Positive Handling Policy.’ Staff should ensure that, in such instances, the Director of Pastoral care is informed immediately and a written report of the incident is made (within 24 hours of the incident) using ‘MyConcern’. A record of physical handling incidents is kept in the SMT folder.

7. Support systems for pupils

If pupils have anxieties or worries, they are encouraged to talk promptly to any member of staff with whom they feel comfortable, often this will be their Tutor, Head of House, the Director of



Pastoral Care or the nurses in the Health Centre. In assemblies and Tutor times, pupils are regularly reminded about talking to staff. On the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) there is an ‘I need to talk’ button. Pupils who do not feel confident speaking to staff directly, can make a request to speak to a particular member of staff on-line. The message is sent to Heads of House and the Director of Pastoral Care who pass the request on to the relevant member of staff. There are also two ‘I need to talk’ boxes where pupils can leave a message, requesting to talk to a member of staff.

The pupils have opportunities to raise concerns through the twice yearly bullying surveys. Pupils in Years 3-6 may choose to speak to their Year 8 buddies.

The School’s Independent Listener attends St Faith’s on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. She supports, advises and reassures pupils across the school. They may be struggling with issues including bereavement, parental divorce or separation, friendships, anxiety and low self-esteem. The Independent Listener sees pupils for 30-minute sessions on a weekly basis.

Year 7 or 8 pupils are sometimes asked to act as Peer Mentors or Play Buddies to younger pupils who may be experiencing a difficult time. Their role includes keeping a close eye on the other pupil/s at breaks and giving as much support as possible.

External support services can provide school with additional help in identifying, assessing and making provision for pupils with significant emotional needs when necessary. In consultation with parents or carers and, when appropriate, the Learning Support Department and Heath Centre team, advice and professional support can be sought from the School Paediatrician, Clinical Psychology, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy or the Cambridge CAMHS team through an Early Help Assessment (EHA). Pupils who suffer the bereavement of a close family member or friend may be referred to Stars counselling service which is based in Cambridge.

8. Information sharing amongst staff

The Director of Pastoral Care produces an individual concerns register for pupils in Years 3 and 4. Teachers in Years 3-8 attend WICM (Weekly individual Concerns Meeting). The meeting is run by the Deputy Head Academic or Director of Pastoral Care. Pastoral or academic concerns of pupils in Years 3-8 are raised at this meeting, and following the meeting, a register is distributed to staff. All Individual Concern Registers are updated on a weekly basis. The Year 3-8 register alerts staff to pupils who may be struggling academically or socially or dealing with a difficult situation in their lives. Pupils are placed on the register at Levels 1, 2 or 3. Pupils at Level 1 are under the care of the Tutor, Level 2 under the care of the Head of House or Head of Department and at Level 3 pupils are monitored closely by the Deputy Head Academic, Director of Pastoral Care or Deputy Head. This system enables concerns to be picked up at an early stage and ensures that appropriate monitoring, intervention or support can be provided.

In Pre Prep an individual Concerns Register is maintained and contributed to by class teachers, the Head of Pre Prep and the Learning Support staff. There are termly class reviews with discussions about the children.

The Director of Pastoral Care line-manages the Health Centre team and there is a close liaison between the Health Centre staff, pastoral teams and the Learning Support Department.

A PASS survey, organised annually by the Director of Communications, helps to raise awareness of pupil wellbeing. It highlights emotionally vulnerable pupils. Following each survey, a meeting takes



place between the Deputy Head Academic, Director of Pastoral Care, Director of Communications and the Head of Learning Support to look at the data and investigate pupils who may be in need of further support.

The Behaviour Tracking System (BTS) enables teaching staff to inform a pupil’s Tutor and Head of House about academic or pastoral matters, both positive and negative. The system is very easy for staff to use and important information can be passed on quickly. Poor or disruptive behaviour, rudeness, lack of punctuality or homework are highlighted, alongside positive traits such as kindness, thoughtfulness and politeness. The Director of Pastoral Care and Deputy Head Academic are informed when pupils receive multiple negative entries and Time out may ensue. Pupils who receive several positive tracks will receive a House Praise Card in a House Assembly.

The electronic pupil profile is used to record all incidents involving the pupils, meetings and correspondence with parents and pastoral Tutor comments. This important document provides a record of a pupil’s career at St Faith’s and is available to a child’s Tutor, Head of House and members of the SMT. It is the Tutor’s responsibility to ensure that records are up to date. Pupil records are monitored termly by the Head of Pre Prep and Heads of House. Records of serious misbehaviour are kept by Senior Management in a separate folder.

9. Managing pupils’ transition

Tutors ensure that tutees who are new to the school are looked after by peers whilst they are settling in. Tutors make contact with the parents of a new pupil in the first week of the term in which they join to ensure that there are no concerns, and contact should be made again within three weeks. The Headmaster and Director of Pastoral Care meet for lunch with new pupils from years 4 to 8 soon after they have joined, to chat through their transition.

An ‘Introduction to the School Year’ talk is provided for all parents at the beginning of the academic year. Parents receive pastoral and academic information specific to their child’s year group.

In the Summer Term, ‘Move Up’ morning provides an opportunity for existing pupils and pupils new to the school in September, to meet with their new Tutors and Tutor group. During ‘House handover week’ in the Summer Term, meetings take place between Tutors, Heads of House, the Head of Pre Prep and Director of Pastoral Care to discuss the transfer of pupils to the next year group.

During each Summer Term, the Director of Pastoral Care and Heads of House meet with pastoral staff from senior schools to pass on information about pupils who are leaving. The pupils also meet with staff from their new school to discuss the move in September.

10. Working with parents

We feel that it is vital for the staff to work in partnership with parents so that children receive consistent messages about how to behave at home and at school. At the ‘Introduction to the School Year’ talks in September, staff speak to parents of pupils in Years 3-8 about the importance of the partnership between home and school.

We expect parents to support their child’s learning and to co-operate with the school. We try to build a supportive dialogue between home and the school. In the ‘Parents’ Handbook’, parents are asked to contact their child’s Tutor as soon as possible if there is a concern. The School will be in touch if we are worried about a child’s welfare or behaviour. Parents are reminded that they can



always speak to staff in person, on the phone or contact via e-mail to arrange a meeting time with members of the pastoral team. Homework diaries can also be used to convey messages to and from school. Parents of pupils in Year 3 and 4 are invited to attend twice- termly ‘surgeries’ to discuss academic or pastoral concerns.

A monthly ‘Pastoral Spotlight’ appears in the Headmaster’s weekly newsletter, which focuses on key pastoral issues. Articles cover a wide range of themes such as positive playtimes, dining room manners, settling into school, firework safety and the science of happy children. For information on the twice –termly e-safety bulletin, see the ‘Anti-Bullying Policy’ Appendix 1.

If the school has to use reasonable sanctions to reform a child’s behaviour, parents should support the actions of the school. If parents have any concern about the way that their child has been treated, they should contact their child’s Tutor, Head of House, Head of Pre Prep, the Director of Pastoral Care, Deputy Head or the Headmaster.

11. Supporting vulnerable pupils and pupils with special educational needs or disabilities

The school recognises its legal duties under the Equality Act 2010, including issues related to pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. The pastoral staff work closely with the Learning Support Department in supporting pupils and parents of pupils with special educational needs or disabilities. The school is fully aware of its duty to make reasonable adjustments for the behaviour of these pupils. Care plans may be drawn up to provide additional support to individual pupils and their teachers and there is close contact between staff and parents in these instances. The Head of Learning Support is in regular contact with outside agencies which support pupils and recommendations are fed back to staff.

The school recognises its responsibility to be vigilant with regard to the identification of sexually problematic or abusive behaviours and to respond sensitively and appropriately to children displaying such behaviours.

The school does not tolerate bullying of any kind. If we discover that an act of bullying or intimidation has taken place, we act immediately to stop any further occurrences of such behaviour. While it is very difficult to eradicate bullying, we do everything in our power to ensure that all children attend school free from fear. For further information on bullying see the Anti-Bullying Policy. The school’s Anti-Bullying policy is available on the school website and VLE.

N L HELLIWELL Headmaster



Appendix 1

Dealing with unacceptable behaviour in Years 3-8

The procedure may start later than STEP 1 depending on the seriousness of the misbehaviour.

Variation to the progress of the STEP procedures may become necessary because of the particular demands of a situation or the particular needs of a child.

STEP 1 – Teacher Action

Individual misdemeanour by pupil Teacher to speak to pupil about concern and expectations Inform Tutor and HoH of concern through the Behaviour Tracking System If behaviour persists (i.e. a pattern) or if significantly serious, proceed to ……

STEP 2 – Tutor Action

Pattern of behaviour/serious misdemeanour Further concerns flagged up on Behaviour Tracking System 1stor 2nd Time Out awarded in space of a half term Discussion with pupil and communication with parents Pupil to be raised in Year 3 and 4 meeting with HoH or at WICM (Years 5-8) Pupil to be put onto ICR (level 1) All incidents recorded in pupil profile If behaviour persists (i.e. a pattern) or if significantly serious, proceed to ……

STEP 3 – HoH Action

Behaviour or situation unresolved Further concerns flagged up on Behaviour Tracking System Further Time Out awarded Discussion with pupil & communication with parents Daily report to be introduced Pupil to be raised in Year 3 and 4 meeting with HoH or at WICM (Years 5-8) Pupil to be put onto ICR (level 2) Director of Pastoral Care to be informed of concern Monitoring & tracking All incidents recorded in pupil profile If behaviour persists (i.e. a pattern) or if significantly serious, proceed to ……



STEP 4 – Director of Pastoral Care Action

Behaviour or situation unresolved Further concerns flagged up on Behaviour Tracking System Further Time out awarded Consideration given to removing pupil from school events Discussion with pupil & meeting to be arranged between parents, DoPC and HoH if appropriate. Pupil to be put onto ICR (level 3) All incidents recorded in pupil profile Headmaster and Deputy Head to be informed of concerns Potential outside agency assistance (in consultation with Learning Support Dept.) – Tutor/HoH to be informed of actions If behaviour persists (i.e. a pattern) or if significantly serious, proceed to ……

STEP 5 – Headmaster Action

Meeting to be arranged between parents, DoPC and Headmaster All incidents recorded in pupil profile Headmaster to meet with pupil Headmaster’s behaviour report to be introduced Possible exclusion followed by probation



Appendix 2 – EYFS policy

St Faith’s School Policies

Positive Behaviour Policy for the Pre Prep including the Early Years Foundation

(incorporating Anti-Bullying Policy)

1. Aims.

To foster children’s self-esteem; To encourage children to respect the needs, feelings and dignity of themselves and others; To provide a caring environment in which everyone feels valued; To give the opportunity for children to ask questions and state their needs freely and without

embarrassment; To encourage children to look after and respect their bodies; To help children towards establishing and maintaining caring relationships with their peers; To value a child’s previous experiences and to strive for positive relationships between home

and school. 2. Behaviour Management.

a. Staff implement the policy of enhancing individual self-esteem by encouraging pupils to respect themselves and others, and to be aware that they have rights and so do others. Within this they are encouraged to work co-operatively; to listen to others; to explain their needs and to talk about the needs of others; to share time, space and resources; to evaluate their own work and to praise the work of others. Children are encouraged to be autonomous and to take responsibility. b. Staff recognise that children have different home experiences which they bring into school; that children will be at different developmental levels; that a child may feel confused and react negatively in some situations; that all children need to feel valued; that for a child to become autonomous it takes time for values to be learnt and internalised.

c. To ensure that all children feel secure, confident and trust the staff we will:

Provide good adult role models;

Be consistent in approach throughout all activities;

Work to ensure good relationships between home and school;

Work together to share expectations of children’s behaviour;

Seek advice from other agencies should the need arise. d. In particular the staff share a common approach to ensure consistency throughout the setting; to be seen to be fair; and to ensure trust. To this end they;

Use the positive in all interactions with children e.g. ‘Can you walk safely?’ rather than ‘Don’t run”;

Find out the reason for certain behaviour e.g. ’Can you tell me why you wanted to hit James?’ rather than ‘ Don’t hit James’;

Explain emotions e.g. ‘Charlotte felt sad when you hit her’ rather than ‘Don’t hit Charlotte’;



Explain the reason for doing things e.g. ‘ If you run up the slide you might bump into someone coming down’;

Always refer to the behaviour rather than labelling the child. E.g. ‘ Your friend is upset when you ….’ rather than ‘You are unkind’

Move quietly to interact with children rather than call across the room, deck or playground to intervene;

Display the ‘Being Our Best Selves’ code in the classroom: and always explain these in a context the child can understand.

e. Where situations develop that require more adult support staff will:

Explain the situations and reasoning to a child again;

If this does not succeed in diverting behaviour explain to the child that if the behaviour persists the child will have to choose to work with another activity (if this is an independent activity) or will have to spend a short period of time sitting away from an activity until s/he is ready to work/play appropriately;

Where physical hurt has been given staff will explain what a child feels and ask the other child how we can put it right. Encourage children to acknowledge what they have done and apologise for it.

In other circumstances it is appropriate for the action to be redeemed e.g. if items are deliberately thrown on the floor then they should be picked up again, with adult support and with other children being encouraged to help;

Remain aware that it may take time for understanding of expectations to develop.

f. Staff will follow through a situation with a child themselves rather than delegate it to someone else, unless rota duties make this impossible, or staff feel that the child needs time out. g. Staff will inform each other when they have had to intervene, depending on the urgency of the situation, through:

Discussion with staff at regular staff meetings;

Discussion with staff before school, at lunch-time or after school;

Immediate contact with a senior member of staff;

The teacher may wish to discuss the situation with the parents/carers of any of the children involved.

h. Where an incident is of particular concern or persists:

Relevant staff will hold a meeting as soon as possible to discuss strategies for a common approach and positive handling, to be recorded on an Individual Child Plan. Strategies may vary according to the needs of the children concerned but generally are focussed on a no-blame approach.

The child’s teacher or the Head of Pre Prep will contact the child’s parents/carers to discuss the situation.

Observation may be used to monitor the situation.

Incidents that occur during outside playtimes will be recorded in the playground incident file located in the cupboard in the entrance hall.

Support may be sought from other agencies.

Incidents will be recorded in the child’s pupil profile.



i. At all times a pupil’s behaviour will be considered in the context of a structured and relevant curriculum. (However, family circumstances may cause changes in behaviour and staff will consider these in light of any unexpected behaviours). Any information from home that can be shared will be used to support understanding. j. At times it may be considered appropriate to introduce some whole group activities as a strategy to support or help a situation. For instance a story book like ‘Friends’ or ‘No worries’ might be used at a story session to act as a focus for discussion. Persona dolls might be used to explore a problem. Circle time games might encourage children to understand their feelings and behaviours, or the needs of others better.

3. Anti-Bullying Policy.

a. Foundation Stage staff recognise that in a school situation bullying may occur. Bullying is defined as a persistent, deliberate attempt to hurt or humiliate someone. It may take different forms (e.g. psychological, physical, racist etc.) but it is;

Deliberately hurtful;

Repeated over time;

There is an imbalance of power which makes it hard for those being bullied to defend themselves.

b. The school aims to develop a positive and caring ethos in which all members of the community feel safe and valued. The approach to positive behaviour is implemented sensitively drawing on the staff’s own knowledge of child development and of each child’s previous experiences. Should the strategies set in place not resolve concerns and if the question of bullying is raised the following procedures are set in place.

The concern or complaint about bullying is acknowledged.

All staff are made aware of the concern and the nature of any complaint.

Reports of bullying, whether made by the pupil, staff or parent are logged (together with the date, time, location and nature of the incident); the date when parents/carers were informed and the follow-up that took place. This will be recorded in the child’s pupil profile.

Strategies to deal with the incident are set up.

Strategies are developed in relation to the needs of each situation. They generally reflect a ‘no blame‘ approach; are relevant to the age and understanding of the pupils; are made in consultation with all parties concerned where appropriate.

A date is set to review the situation.

At the review meeting further strategies are set up if appropriate.

Contact between home and the school remains open and accessible.

c. It is anticipated that these strategies will resolve any situations. If this is not the case those concerned (parents, staff or pupils) should be encouraged to talk further with the Head of Pre Prep.



Appendix 3



St Faith’s School Policies

Pastoral, Behaviour and Discipline Policy - Covid Addendum

At St Faith’s we aim to maintain a secure, caring and stimulating environment in which children are encouraged to have respect for themselves and others and be their best selves at all times. It is necessary, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, to make some adjustments for the safety of all pupils and staff. This addendum is to be used in conjunction with, and read alongside, the Pastoral, Behaviour and Discipline Policy, Anti-Bullying Policy, Network and Internet Policy and Safeguarding Children Policy. The adjustments are set out below: Hygiene Children will be expected to follow all handwashing and hygiene routines while in school. Children must wash hands when entering school, before and after eating and at regular intervals during the day. We ask children to follow the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ guidelines. If they need to cough or sneeze, they should use a tissue or crook of their arm. Children will be reminded not to touch their face, mouth, nose or eyes while at school. It will be made very clear to the children that they must follow the clear rules about not intentionally coughing or spitting at or towards any other person. Coughing or spitting at or towards any other person will be deemed as a serious breach of the school’s behaviour policy and will be referred to the Headmaster immediately. Social Distancing When children enter their classroom, they will be expected to go straight to their desk/table and nowhere else in the room. The seating in the classroom is non-negotiable and is in place for the safety of each pupil. Pupils should wherever possible maintain a safe distance from others both during and between lessons. There will be times, particularly in practical lessons when pupils will be asked to move around classrooms and work together in order to access the broad and balanced curriculum. Teachers will manage these situations to avoid pupils working face to face for a prolonged period of time. Pupils must not share belongings, such as food and high frequency resources with others. There may be the controlled sharing of resources between pupils within bubbles (e.g. textbooks, practical equipment, sports equipment). Shared equipment will be cleaned in line with government guidelines if it is to be used with other bubbles. We understand socially distancing may be more difficult for younger children; they will be encouraged wherever possible to keep a distance from peers and adults, however, we understand this may not always be possible. Uniform Pupils should wear their normal winter uniform to school. In order to avoid changing, on days in which they have PE or Games, pupils should come to school in their PE or Games kit. The school rules regarding hair length, styles, colours and accessories remain the same. Rules about jewellery and make-up also remain unaltered.



Mobile Phones Only pupils who travel to and from school independently and are on the ‘Unaccompanied Journey Register’ are allowed to bring a mobile phone into school. The pupil and a parent must complete and submit the electronic Mobile Phone Agreement Form so that we have a full and accurate record of pupils who are bringing a mobile device into School. To ensure the safety of pupils and staff during the period of the coronavirus pandemic, the mobile phone cabinets in Edenfield will not be used. Pupils must keep their phones in their school bags and out of sight during the school day. Urgent contact with a child during the school day can always be made through the School Office. All other rules regarding the use of mobile phones remain in place. Full details of the mobile phone policy can be found in the parents’ section of the VLE. Entering and leaving the school site Pupils should arrive on the school site at the allocated times. They must apply hand sanitiser on arrival. Pupils should not wait around for friends but proceed immediately to their Tutor room. Pupils must leave the site promptly at their allocated time. If they are on the ‘Unaccompanied Journey Register’ they must also leave the school promptly at the agreed time. Pupils must ensure that they do not mix with children from other year groups when they enter or depart from the school site. Sanctions Sanctions will be adopted If a child’s behaviour is deemed to put others at risk, for example, refusing to adhere to safety measures, such as, hand washing, social distancing or remaining in their ‘bubble’ group. The usual system of sanctions should be followed in such instances (see Appendix 1 pages 8 and 9). Teaching colleagues should continue to use the ‘Behaviour Tracking System’ (BTS) to record positive or negative behaviour and the ’Time out’ system will continue to operate for pupils who receive multiple negative entries. Year groups will have a day allocated for ‘Time out’ with the Director of Pastoral Care or Deputy Head so that there is no mixing of year group ‘bubbles’. Support Systems for pupils In August 2020, a wellbeing questionnaire was sent out to pupils in Years 3-8. The aim of the questionnaire was to gauge children’s mental wellbeing and elicit any concerns about returning to school. Appropriate pastoral support will be put into place based on the findings of the questionnaires. In the first few weeks of the Michaelmas term, staff have been asked to keep a very close eye on the pastoral welfare of the pupils, particularly those who did not return in the summer term. Appropriate pastoral staff should be informed if Teaching staff have concerns. Parents have been asked to inform pastoral staff if they have concerns about their child’s wellbeing. Pupils will also be encouraged to raise concerns by speaking to staff in person or via the ‘I need to talk’ button on the VLE.



Throughout the Michaelmas term the pastoral team (Tutors, Heads of House, Director of Pastoral Care, School Listener, and School nurses) will work together closely to support pupils who are struggling as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. During the period of the coronavirus pandemic, the Weekly Individual Concerns Meeting (WICM) will continue to take place remotely. This will enable colleagues in Years 3-8 to flag up concerns about individual pupils and for information to be disseminated to colleagues. Following the meeting, the Individual Concerns Register (ICR) will be distributed to Teaching Staff. Code of Conduct for Home Learning The following code of conduct will be used if there is a partial or whole school closure and the Home Learning programme is re-introduced:

Contacting staff in writing

Pupils may contact a teacher via the teacher’s school e-mail address but not their personal email. They may use the chat function in Microsoft Teams to contact a member of staff during a live lesson. Pupils may also click on the ‘I need to talk’ button on the VLE if they have a pastoral concern

Pupils should submit work via Microsoft Teams

Pupils must not communicate with staff via texting or any form of social media

Pupils should use appropriate and respectful language when addressing members of staff in writing. The language used should be formal and not ‘text speak’

Pupils should remember that a permanent record is kept of everything that is written down

Live on-line lessons

Pupils must be appropriately dressed e.g. smart casual, as must anyone else who appears in the teaching room

The lesson should, where possible, take place in a general living space against a neutral

background. If a pupil has to work from their bedroom, this must not be visible to the

teacher or their peers and they must set up a background screen on Teams. This will

ensure that the school is meeting safeguarding guidance

Think carefully about what may be on view in the background e.g. family photos. The live-stream should not intrude on your privacy

Pupils are responsible for their own behaviour and actions when learning remotely. They should show high standards of behaviour

Pupils attending live lessons should behave responsibly at all times, in line with normal school expectations. Those who do not behave responsibly will be removed from the Teams session and their parents will be notified

Pupils must ensure that they use appropriate and respectful language, as they would in a lesson at school

Pupils must make sure that any communication with pupils, teachers or others using

technology is responsible and sensible

Pupils must not record or take photos of any classmates or teachers during remote

learning



Pupils should be in a quiet environment for their Teams sessions. They are requested to

wear headphones to help them to focus on the lesson and minimise background noise

The School Network and Internet Acceptable Use Policy applies to remote teaching and

learning

Parents • Parents should be familiar with the school’s remote learning expectations

• Parents should ensure that pupils have a suitable place to work, along with the equipment

they need

• Parents should contact subject teachers if they have academic queries or concerns; pastoral staff if they have pastoral concerns; and designated safeguarding staff if they have concerns about the welfare or safety of a child. Staff should be contacted via their school email

Mr M Critchley Director of Pastoral Care October 2020

st faith’s school policies

Documents